Current considerations on intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct and pancreatic duct

Pancreatobiliary intraductal papillary neoplasms(IPNs)represent precursors of pancreatic cancer or bile duct cholangiocarcinoma that can be detected and treated.Despite advances in diagnostic methods,identifying these premalignant lesions is still challenging for treatment providers.Modern imaging,biomarkers and molecular tests for genomic alterations can be used for diagnosis and follow-up.Surgical intervention in combination with new chemotherapeutic agents is considered the optimal treatment for malignant cases.The balance between the risk of malignancy and any risk of resection guides management policy;therefore,treatment should be individualized based on a meticulous preoperative assessment of high-risk stigmata.IPN of the bile duct is more aggressive;thus,early diagnosis and surgery are crucial.The conservative management of low-risk pancreatic branch-duct lesions is safe and effective.

Iatrogenic bile duct injuries from biliary tract surgery

BACKGROUND:Cholecystectomy is the most commonly performed procedure in general surgery.However,bile duct injury is a rare but still one of the most common complications.These injuries sometimes present variably after primary surgery.Timely detection and appropriate management decrease the morbidity and mortality of the operation. METHODS:Five cases of iatrogenic bile duct injury(IBDI) were managed at the Department of Surgery,First Affiliated Hospital,Xi’an Jiaotong University.All the cases who underwent both open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy had persistent injury to the biliary tract and were treated accordingly. RESULTS:Recovery of the patients was uneventful.All patients were followed-up at the surgical outpatient department for six months to three years.So far the patients have shown good recovery. CONCLUSIONS:In cases of IBDI it is necessary to perform the operation under the supervision of an experienced surgeon who is specialized in the repair of bile duct injuries,and it is also necessary to detect and treat the injury as soon as possible to obtain a satisfactory outcome.

Catheter tract implantation metastases associated with percutaneous biliary drainage for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

AIM: To estimate the incidence of catheter tract implantation metastasis among patients undergoing percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and to provide data regarding the management of this unusual complication of PTBD by reviewing cases reported in the literature.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 67 consecutive patients who underwent PTBD before the resection of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was conducted. The median follow-up period after PTBD was 106 mo. The English language literature (PubMed, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), from January 1966through December 2004, was reviewed.RESULTS: Catheter tract implantation metastasis developed in three patients. The cumulative incidence of implantation metastasis reached a plateau (6%)at 20 mo after PTBD. All of the three patients with implantation metastasis died of tumor progression at 3, 9, and 20 mo after the detection of this complication. Among the 10 reported patients with catheter tract implantation metastasis from extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (including our three patients), two survived for more than 5 years after the excision of isolated catheter tract metastases.CONCLUSION: Catheter tract implantation metastasis is not a rare complication following PTBD for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Although the prognosis for patients with this complication is generally poor, the excision of the catheter tract may enable survival in selected patients with isolated metastases along the catheter tract.

KML001, an arsenic compound, as salvage chemotherapy in refractory biliary tract cancers: A prospective study

Background: Sodium meta-arsenite(NaAsO_2, KML001) is a potential oral anticancer agent acting on telomerase and telomere length. This prospective study evaluated its safety, tolerability, and effectiveness as salvage chemotherapy in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer(BTC) resistant to gemcitabinebased chemotherapy. Methods: Forty-four patients(21 women and 23 men) with advanced BTC and failure history of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, performance status(PS) 0–2, normal cardiac, hepatic, and renal function were enrolled. Daily dose of KML001(7.5 mg. p.o.) was administered to eligible subjects for 24 weeks divided into six treatment cycles. Response was evaluated bimonthly using CT. Results: After an average of 1.5 months of treatment(range: 0.5–10.0), 3 patients(6.8%) obtained progression-free status, 23 patients(52.3%) had disease progression, and 18 patients(40.9%) dropped out before evaluation. One patient(2.3%) completed six treatment cycles without progression. During the treatment, morphine dosage kept the same or decreased in 20 patients(47.6%). Nine patients(20.5%) experienced grade-3 adverse events(AEs), while no patient experienced grade-4 AEs. The most common AEs were liver enzyme elevation(11/44, 25%) and anemia(10/44, 22.7%). KML001 was discontinued in six patients(13.6%) due to AEs, including liver toxicity( n = 3), QTc prolongation( n = 2), and abdominal pain( n = 1). Conclusions: KML001 did not have enough anticancer effect on patients with advanced BTC resistant to gemcitabine. However, KML001 was safe and well-tolerable in terms of AEs and pain control when used as salvage therapy. Further studies are needed to establish arsenic agents as a reliable treatment option in patients with BTC.

Incidence of port-site metastasis after undergoing robotic surgery for biliary malignancies

AIM:To investigate the incidence of clinically detected port-site metastasis(PSM) in patients who underwent robotic surgery for biliary malignancies.METHODS:Using a prospective database,the patients undergoing fully robotic surgery for biliary malignancies between January 2009 and January 2011 were included.Records of patients with confirmed malignancy were reviewed for clinicopathological data and information about PSM.RESULTS:Sixty-four patients with biliary tract cancers underwent robotic surgery,and sixty patients met the inclusion criteria.The median age was 67 year(range:40-85 year).During a median 15-mo follow-up period,two female patients were detected solitary PSM after robotic surgery.The incidence of PSM was 3.3%.Patient 1 underwent robotic anatomatic left hemihepatectomy and extraction of biliary tumor thrombi for an Klatskin tumor.She had a subcutaneous mass located at the right lateral abdominal wall near a trocar scar.Patient 2 underwent robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy for distal biliary cancer.She had two metachronous subcutaneous mass situated at the right lateral abdominal wall under a same trocar scar at 7 and 26 mo.The pathology of the excised PSM masses confirmed metastatic biliary adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSION:The incidence of PSMs after robotic surgery for biliary malignancies is relatively low,and biliary cancer can be an indication of robotic surgery.

Multi-institutional retrospective analysis of FOLFIRI in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers

BACKGROUND Gemcitabine plus platinum is the standard of care first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancers(BTC).There is no established second-line therapy,and retrospective reviews report median progression-free survival(PFS)less than 3 mo on second-line therapy.5-Fluorouracil plus irinotecan(FOLFIRI)is a commonly used regimen in patients with BTC who have progressed on gemcitabine plus platinum,though there is a paucity of data regarding its efficacy in this population.AIM To assess the efficacy of FOLFIRI in patients with biliary tract cancers.METHODS We retrospectively identified patients with advanced BTC who were treated with FOLFIRI at MD Anderson,University of Michigan and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.Data were collected on patient demographics,BTC subtype,response per RECIST v1.1,progression and survival.RESULTS Ninety-eight patients were included of which 74(75%)had metastatic and 24(25%)had locally advanced disease at the time of treatment with FOLFIRI.The median age was 60(range,22-86)years.The number of patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,gall bladder cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were 10,17 and 71,respectively.FOLFIRI was used as 1st,2nd,3rd or 4th–Nth lines in 8,50,36 and 4 patients,respectively.Median duration on FOLFIRI in the entire cohort was 2.2(range,0.5-8.4)mo.The median PFS and overall survival were 2.4(95%confidence interval(CI):1.7-3.1)and 6.6(95%CI:4.7-8.4)mo,respectively.Median PFS for patients treated with FOLFIRI in 1st,2nd,3rd or 4th–Nth lines were 3.1,2.5,2.3 and 1.5 mo,respectively.Eighteen patients received concurrent bevacizumab(n=13)or EGFR-targeted therapy(n=5)with FOLFIRI,with a median PFS of 2.7 mo(95%CI:1.7-5.1).CONCLUSION In this largest multi-institution retrospective review of 98 patients with BTC treated with FOLFIRI,efficacy appears to be modest with outcomes similar to other cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens.

Adjuvant treatment in biliary tract cancer: To treat or not to treat?

Biliary tract cancer is a rare malignant tumor. There is limited knowledge about biology and natural history of this disease and considerable uncertainty remains regarding its optimal diagnostic and therapeutic man- agement. The role of adjuvant therapy is object of debate and controversy. Although resection is identified as the most effective and the only potentially curative treatment, there is no consensus on the impact of ad- juvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy on the high incidence of disease recurrence and on survival. This is mainly due to the rarity of this disease and the consequent difficulty in performing randomized trials. The only two prospectively controlled trials concluded that adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve survival. Most of the retrospective trials, which had limited sample size and included heterogeneous patients population and non-standardized therapies, suggested a marginal benefit of chemoradiotherapy in reducing locoregional recurrence and an uncertain impact on survival. Welldesigned multi-institutional randomized trials are necessary to clarify the role of adjuvant therapy. Two ongoing phase Ⅲ trials may provide relevant information.

Present status of biliary surgery in China

ＰｒｏｇｒｅｓｅｓｏｆｂｉｌｉａｒｙｓｕｒｇｅｒｙｉｎＣｈｉｎａｉｎｒｅｃｅｎｔｙｅａｒｓｗｅｒｅｆｏｃｕｓｅｄｏｎｔｈｅｅｐｉｄｅｍｉｏｌｏｇｙｏｆｂｉｌｉａｒｙｓｔｏｎｅｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓ，ｔｈｅｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｆｌａｐａｒｏｓｃｏｐｉｃｓ...

Empirical antibiotic treatment with piperacillin-tazobactam in Patients with microbiologically-documented biliary tract infections

AIM: To report our experience with empiric antimicrobial monotherapy (piperacillin/tazobactam, of which no data are available in such specific circumstances) in microbiologically-documented infections in patients with benign and malignant conditions of the biliary tract.METHODS: Twenty-three patients, 10 with benign and 13 with malignant conditions affecting the biliary tree and microbiologically-documented infections were recruited and the efficacy of empirical antibiotic therapy was assessed.RESULTS: The two groups featured similar demographic and clinical data. Overall, the infective episodes were most due to Gram negative agents, more than 60% of such episodes (mostly in malignant conditions) were preceded by invasive instrumental maneuvers. Empirical antibiotic therapy with a single agent (piperacillin/tazobactam) was effective in more than 80% of cases. No deaths were reported following infections. CONCLUSION: An empiric therapeutic approach with piperacillin/tazobactam is highly effective in biliary tract infections due to benign or malignant conditions.

仑伐替尼联合PD-1单抗及GEMOX方案在晚期胆道恶性肿瘤治疗中的临床观察

目的探讨靶免(仑伐替尼+信迪利单抗)联合GEMOX(吉西他滨+奥沙利铂)在胆道恶性肿瘤复发转移患者中的临床效果和安全性。方法选择2015年1月到2024年1月在我院中西医结合肿瘤科及肝胆外科接受靶免(仑伐替尼+信迪利单抗)联合GEMOX(吉西他滨+奥沙利铂)方案的复发转移的晚期胆道恶性肿瘤患者24例,主要观察终点设置为总体生存期(overall survival,OS)和无进展生存时间(progression-free survival,PFS),次要观察终点设置为客观缓解率(ORR)、疾病控制率(DCR)、安全性。借助肿瘤标记物(CEA、CA125、CA199)变化、不良反应、生活质量评分,影像学改变等各项数据综合评估靶免(仑伐替尼+信迪利单抗)联合GEMOX(吉西他滨+奥沙利铂)方案治疗晚期胆道恶性肿瘤复发转移的安全性和整体临床效果。结果部分缓解(PR)8例,稳定(SD)8例,进展(PD)8例,ORR 33.3%(8/24),DCR 66.7%(16/24),中位OS 13个月,中位PFS 8个月。治疗后CA199水平明显低于治疗前(P<0.05)。主要不良反应为皮疹(14/24,58.3%)、白细胞下降(22/24,91.6%)、贫血(20/24,83.3%),其中有1例因严重不良事件退出治疗,1例患者在治疗期间死于胆道梗阻合并感染。结论采用靶免(仑伐替尼+信迪利单抗)联合GEMOX(吉西他滨+奥沙利铂)方案治疗晚期胆道恶性肿瘤复发转移患者具有较高的安全性和有效性,可以在临床使用。

腹腔镜胰腺肿瘤剜除术后胆道并发症的危险因素分析

目的:探讨腹腔镜胰腺肿瘤剜除术后发生胆道并发症的危险因素。方法:回顾分析2017年3月至2023年6月101例接受腹腔镜胰腺肿瘤剜除术患者的临床及随访资料。其中男29例,女72例,15~77岁,平均(48.6±13.2)岁。肿瘤位于胰头部49例(48.5%)、胰颈体尾部52例(51.5%)。根据术后是否发生胆道并发症分为胆道并发症组(n=24)与无胆道并发症组(n=77)。单因素分析中定量数据采用t检验或Mann-Whitney U检验进行比较,分类数据采用χ^(2)检验进行比较,采用多因素Logistic回归分析术后发生胆道并发症的独立危险因素。结果:患者均在腹腔镜下顺利完成肿瘤剜除术,无术中输血及中转开腹,手术时间63~359 min,平均(168.0±58.7)min。术后长期随访,24例(23.8%)发生胆道并发症,其中胆囊结石21例、胆囊炎2例、胆囊结石合并胆总管结石1例;77例(76.2%)未发生胆道并发症。单因素分析结果显示,体重指数大(P=0.008)、术后第1天γ-谷氨酰转移酶高(P=0.04)、肿瘤位于胰头部(P=0.012)、肿瘤最大径长(P=0.028)、生长抑素使用总量多(P<0.001)是术后发生胆道并发症的危险因素。将上述危险因素纳入多因素Logistic回归分析,结果显示体重指数大(OR=1.262,95%CI=1.025~1.554,P=0.028)、肿瘤位于胰头部(OR=4.042,95%CI=1.242~13.155,P=0.020)、生长抑素使用总量多(OR=1.381,95%CI=1.059~1.800,P=0.017)是腹腔镜胰腺肿瘤剜除术后发生胆道并发症的独立危险因素。结论:腹腔镜胰腺肿瘤剜除术是治疗胰腺良性、低度恶性肿瘤的有效术式,对于具有上述危险因素的患者,应在出院后加强监测胆道并发症的发生情况。

New trends in diagnosis and management of gallbladder carcinoma

Gallbladder(GB)carcinoma,although relatively rare,is the most common biliary tree cholangiocarcinoma with aggressiveness and poor prognosis.It is closely associated with cholelithiasis and long-standing large(>3 cm)gallstones in up to 90%of cases.The other main predisposing factors for GB carcinoma include molecular factors such as mutated genes,GB wall calcification(porcelain)or mainly mucosal microcalcifications,and GB polyps≥1 cm in size.Diagnosis is made by ultrasound,computed tomography(CT),and,more precisely,magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).Preoperative staging is of great importance in decisionmaking regarding therapeutic management.Preoperative staging is based on MRI findings,the leading technique for liver metastasis imaging,enhanced three-phase CT angiography,or magnetic resonance angiography for major vessel assessment.It is also necessary to use positron emission tomography(PET)-CT or ^(18)F-FDG PET-MRI to more accurately detect metastases and any other occult deposits with active metabolic uptake.Staging laparoscopy may detect dissemination not otherwise found in 20%-28.6%of cases.Multimodality treatment is needed,including surgical resection,targeted therapy by biological agents according to molecular testing gene mapping,chemotherapy,radiation therapy,and immunotherapy.It is of great importance to understand the updated guidelines and current treatment options.The extent of surgical intervention depends on the disease stage,ranging from simple cholecystectomy(T1a)to extended resections and including extended cholecystectomy(T1b),with wide lymph node resection in every case or IV-V segmentectomy(T2),hepatic trisegmentectomy or major hepatectomy accompanied by hepaticojejunostomy Roux-Y,and adjacent organ resection if necessary(T3).Laparoscopic or robotic surgery shows fewer postoperative complications and equivalent oncological outcomes when compared to open surgery,but much attention must be paid to avoiding injuries.In addition to surgery,novel targeted treatment along with immunotherapy and recent improvements in radiotherapy and chemotherapy(neoadjuvant-adjuvant capecitabine,cisplatin,gemcitabine)have yielded promising results even in inoperable cases calling for palliation(T4).Thus,individualized treatment must be applied.

吲哚箐绿荧光成像技术在基层医院肝胆外科中的应用

吲哚箐绿(ICG)荧光染色在肝胆外科手术中的运用越来越广泛,近年来随着ICG荧光成像技术的快速发展及推广,使得肝胆外科精准化治疗有了清晰的导航指引作用。基层医院在复杂胆囊切除、复杂胆道结石手术及肝段精准切除中,ICG荧光成像技术能精准地识别解剖结构,缩短手术时间,避免手术损伤,减少术后并发症的发生,避免患者因术中损伤造成二次伤害。未来,ICG荧光成像技术的快速发展将会在胆道外科中显现更多的临床价值,对基层医院肝胆外科的发展有着重要意义。本文对ICG在基层医院肝胆外科中的应用进行综述。

精准胆道外科理论引导下手术治疗胆囊癌的效果及对应激反应、肿瘤标志物水平的影响

目的分析精准胆道外科理论引导下手术治疗胆囊癌的效果及对应激反应、肿瘤标志物水平的影响。方法选择2020年1月至2022年2月医院收治100例胆囊癌患者为研究对象,以随机数字表法将其分为对照组、观察组,每组50例。对照组采用传统胆囊根治术治疗,观察组给予精准胆道外科理论引导下手术治疗。比较两组的治疗效果。结果观察组的手术时长长于对照组,术中出血量少于对照组,淋巴结清扫数量多于对照组,首次排气时间、住院时间短于对照组(P<0.05)。术后24 h,观察组的促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)、皮质醇(Cor)水平低于对照组(P<0.05)。术后2周,观察组的癌胚抗原(CEA)、糖类抗原125(CA125)及甲胎蛋白(AFP)水平低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论精准胆道外科理论引导下手术治疗胆囊癌不仅可缓解机体应激反应,调节肿瘤标志物水平,还有助于提升手术效果,缩短患者住院时间,值得推广。

Interventional radiology in the management of malignant biliary obstruction

Malignant biliary obstruction is commonly due to pancreatic carcinoma,cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic disease which are often inoperable at presentation and carry a poor prognosis.Percutaneous biliary drainage and stenting provides a safe and effective method of palliation in such patients,thereby improving their quality of life.It may also be an adjunct to surgical management by improving hepatic and,indirectly,renal function before resection of the tumor.

Endoscopic stenting for inoperable malignant biliary obstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM: To analyze through meta-analyses the benefits of two types of stents in the inoperable malignant biliary obstruction.METHODS: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials(RCT) was conducted, with the last update on March 2015, using EMBASE, CINAHL(EBSCO), MEDLINE, LILACS/CENTRAL(BVS), SCOPUS, CAPES(Brazil), and gray literature. Information of the selected studies was extracted in sight of six outcomes: primarily regarding dysfunction, complication and reintervention rates; and secondarily costs, survival, and patency time. The data about characteristics of trial participants, inclusion and exclusion criteria and types of stents were also extracted. The bias was mainly assessed through the JADAD scale. This meta-analysis was registered in the PROSPERO database by the number CRD42014015078. The analysis of the absolute risk of the outcomes was performed using the software Rev Man, by computing risk differences(RD) of dichotomous variables and mean differences(MD) of continuous variables. Data on RD and MD for each primary outcome were calculated using the MantelHaenszel test and inconsistency was qualified and reported in χ2 and the Higgins method(I2). Sensitivity analysis was performed when heterogeneity was higher than 50%, a subsequent assay was done and other findings were compiled. Student's t-test was used for the comparison of weighted arithmetic means regarding secondary outcomes.RESULTS: Initial searching identified 3660 studies; 3539 were excluded through title, repetition, and/or abstract, while 121 studies were fully assessed and were excluded mainly because they did not compare self-expanding metal stents(SEMS) and plastic stents(PS), leading to thirteen RCT selected, with 13 articles and 1133 subjects meta-analyzed. The mean age was 69.5 years old, that were affected mostly by bile duct(proximal) and pancreatic tumors(distal). The preferred SEMS diameter used was the 10 mm(30 Fr) and the preferred PS diameter used was 10 Fr. In the metaanalysis, SEMS had lower overall stent dysfunction compared to PS(21.6% vs 46.8%, P < 0.00001) and fewer re-interventions(21.6% vs 56.6%, P < 0.00001), with no difference in complications(13.7% vs 15.9%, P = 0.16). In the secondary analysis, the mean survival rate was higher in the SEMS group(182 d vs 150 d, P < 0.0001), with a higher patency period(250 d vs 124 d, P < 0.0001) and a lower cost per patient(4193.98 vs 4728.65 Euros, P < 0.0985).CONCLUSION: SEMS are associated with lower stent dysfunction, lower re-intervention rates, better survival, and higher patency time. Complications and costs showed no difference.

Endoscopic management of occluded metal biliary stents:Metal versus 10F plastic stents

AIM:To compare the efficacy of self-expandable metal stents(SEMSs) with 10F plastic stents(PSs) in the endoscopic management of occluded SEMSs.METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 56 patients who underwent SEMS insertion for palliation of unresectable malignant biliary obstruction between 2000 and 2007 and subsequent endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage(ERBD) with SEMS or PS for initial SEMS occlusion between 2000 and 2008.RESULTS:Subsequent ERBD with SEMS was performed in 29 patients and with PS in 27.The median time to stent occlusion after subsequent ERBD was 186 d in the SEMS group and 101 d in the PS group(P= 0.118).Overall median stent patency was 79 d for the SEMS group and 66 d for the PS group(P = 0.379).The mean number of additional biliary drainage procedures after subsequent ERBD in patients that died(n = 50) during the study period was 2.54 ± 4.12 for the SEMS group and 1.85 ± 1.95 for the PS group(P = 0.457).The mean total cost of additional biliary drainage procedures after the occlusion of subsequent SEMS or PS was $410.04 ± 692.60 for the SEMS group and $630.16 ± 671.63 for the PS group(P = 0.260).Tumor ingrowth as the cause of initial SEMS occlusion was the only factor associated with a shorter time to subsequent stent occlusion(101 d for patients with tumor ingrowth vs 268 d for patients without tumor ingrowth,P = 0.008).CONCLUSION:Subsequent ERBD with PSs offered similar patency and number of additional biliary drainage procedures compared to SEMSs in the management of occluded SEMS.

Associations between serum uric acid and hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer:A cohort study

BACKGROUND Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism.Previous studies have found that serum uric acid(SUA)levels are associated with the total cancer risk.However,due to the dual effect of uric acid on cancer,the relationship between the SUA levels and most specific-site cancer remains unclear.AIM To investigate the associations between the SUA levels and incidence of hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer.METHODS In this prospective cohort study,444462 participants free of cancer from the UK Biobank were included.The SUA levels were measured at baseline,and the incidence of hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer was determined by contacting the cancer registry.The hazard ratios(HRs)and 95%confidence intervals(CIs)between the SUA levels and hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer were investigated using multiple adjusted Cox regression models adjusted for potential confounders.RESULTS In total,920 participants developed liver,gallbladder,biliary tract or pancreatic cancer during a median of 6.6 yrs of follow-up.We found that the HR of pancreatic cancer in the highest SUA group was 1.77(95%CI:1.29-2.42)compared with that in the lowest group.After stratifying by gender,we further found that SUA was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer only among the females(highest quartile vs lowest quartile HR 2.04,95%CI:1.35-3.08).Among the males,the SUA levels were positively associated with the gallbladder cancer risk(highest quartile vs lowest quartile HR 3.09,95%CI:1.28-7.46),but a U-shaped association with the liver cancer risk was observed(P-nonlinear=0.03).CONCLUSION SUA is likely to have gender-specific effects on hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer.High SUA levels are a risk factor for pancreatic cancer in females and gallbladder cancer in males.A U-shaped association with the liver cancer risk was identified.

Managing malignant biliary obstruction in pancreas cancer: Choosing the appropriate strategy

Most patients with pancreatic cancer develop malignant biliary obstruction.Treatment of obstruction is generally indicated to relieve symptoms and improve morbidity and mortality.First-line therapy consists of endoscopic biliary stent placement.Recent data comparing plastic stents to self-expanding metallic stents(SEMS)has shown improved patency with SEMS.The decision of whether to treat obstruction and the means for doing so depends on the clinical scenario.For patients with resectable disease,preoperative biliary decompression is only indicated when surgery will be delayed or complications of jaundice exist.For patients with locally advanced disease,self-expanding metal stents are superior to plastic stents for long-term patency.For patients with advanced disease,the choice of metallic or plastic stent depends on life expectancy.When endoscopic stent placement fails,percutaneous or surgical treatments are appropriate.Endoscopic therapy or surgical approach can be used to treat concomitant duodenal and biliary obstruction.

Management of occluded self-expanding biliary metal stents in malignant biliary disease

Background: Occlusion of self-expanding metal stents(SEMS) in malignant biliary obstruction occurs in up to 40% of patients. This study aimed to compare the different techniques to resolve stent occlusion in our collective of patients.Methods: Patients with malignant biliary obstruction and occlusion of biliary metal stent at a tertiary referral endoscopic center were retrospectively identified between April 1, 1994 and May 31, 2014. The clinical records were further analyzed regarding the characteristics of patients, malignant strictures, SEMS,management strategies, stent patency, subsequent interventions, survival time and case charges.Results: A total of 108 patients with biliary metal stent occlusion were identified. Seventy-nine of these patients were eligible for further analysis. Favored management was plastic stent insertion in 73.4% patients. Second SEMS were inserted in 12.7% patients. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and mechanical cleansing were conducted in a minority of patients. Further analysis showed no statistically significant difference in median overall secondary stent patency(88 vs. 143 days, P = 0.069), median survival time(95 vs. 192 days, P = 0.116), median subsequent intervention rate(53.4% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.501)and median case charge(€5145 vs. €3473, P = 0.803) for the treatment with a second metal stent insertion compared to plastic stent insertion. In patients with survival time of more than three months,significantly more patients treated with plastic stents needed re-interventions than patients treated with second SEMS(93.3% vs. 57.1%, P = 0.037).Conclusions: In malignant biliary strictures, both plastic and metal stent insertions are feasible strategies for the treatment of occluded SEMS. Our data suggest that in palliative biliary stenting, patients especially those with longer expected survival might benefit from second SEMS insertion. Careful patient selection is important to ensure a proper decision for either management strategy.